Scored drug tablets have been known for many years and are provided to patients to enable them to break the tablet into two or more parts to enable fractional dosages of the medicine to be taken by the patient (see British Patent No. 993 291). Heretofore, problems have been encountered by the patient in facilitating a proper breakage of the tablet into its component parts due to the strength of the binder agents utilized to bind the active pharmacological agents contained within the tablet. Arthritic patients may be unable to break the tablet into its component parts due to the aforesaid strength characteristic. In some instances, a sharp edged tool, such as a knife, is needed in order to effect an even breakage of the tablet into its component parts. Further, and more important, is the requirement that the fractured tablet components contain the corresponding fraction, within the required .+-.15% limits, of active pharmacological agents in each of the divided sections.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tri-scored drug tablet capable of being easily broken into four parts.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tri-scored drug tablet, as aforesaid, capable of being broken into its component parts by simply holding the tablet between the thumb and forefinger and applying the requisite compressive breaking force.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tri-scored drug tablet, as aforesaid, which has a length greater than its width and appropriate structure at its opposite longitudinal ends and longitudinally central part as well as structure defining a zone of weakness at the longitudinally central part and in the central region of each half section to facilitate a breakage of the tablet into separate but equal components.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tri-scored drug tablet, as aforesaid, having the requisite strength characteristics to prevent premature breakage of the tablet either during manufacture, insertion into a container or during transit of the container to the end user.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tri-scored drug tablet, as aforesaid, which is easy to manufacture and is of sufficient but yet minimum size to facilitate easy swallowing of the tablet by the end user patient.